


I Have Loved You All Along

by Dark_Wings_Of_Imagination



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2014-01-23
Packaged: 2018-01-05 08:05:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1091560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Wings_Of_Imagination/pseuds/Dark_Wings_Of_Imagination
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Letters form Emma. After Regina confessed her love for Emma, the blonde will have to choose between doing the right thing and her happiness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I thought you guys, after reading the last chapter of 'Letters For Emma', would like to read at least the first chapter of the sequel, so here it is. Hope you like it!

**Chapter 1**

"Emma, I love you. " Regina sighed. "No it's not good enough". She said to herself as she practiced how to tell Emma she loves her.

To say she was nervous was an understatement, but in her situation who wouldn't? She took a deep breath and looking in the mirror once more she tried again. Half way through it, though, she heard someone knocking on her bedroom's door, and then the voice of the one she loves called her.

"Regina?"

Inhaling deeply the former queen did her best to compose herself before walking to open the door.

As she opened the door, there stood her, Emma Swan - White Knight, The Savior, Princess of the Enchanted Forest -, Regina's love.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

Emma asked Regina.

"Yes, please come in"

Regina answered, and congratulating herself silently for masking her anxiety so well, stepped aside so Emma could enter.

"First I want to give you something," Regina began as she made her way towards the small wooden desk that was set near the bedroom's window, where five white envelopes were carefully sat, "but you will only open them after hearing what I have to say." She said as she made her way back to Emma and handed her the envelopes.

Emma looked at the envelopes in her hands. Seeing her name written on all of them, she felt the urge to open them and she almost did, but Regina's voice stopped her.

"I love you"

The brunette said whilst Emma was staring at the envelopes, she figured it would be easier if she said it while not looking in those beautiful emerald eyes, that for so many times before had her at a loss of words and senses.

Emma's head shot up right in the moment she heard the words being mustered, and she almost let the envelopes fall.

"I'm sorry, what?"

The blonde asked as confusion and shock took over her.

"I'm in love with you, Emma. I know I should have said that before, not now, four months after your wedding, but… but…" Regina sighed and stopped for a second before finally finding the right words to continue. "It took me a long time to finally admit to myself that I didn't hate you, that what I really felt for you was love. I was afraid of telling you, I thought that it would scare you away, and I wouldn't bear it"

"And what made you change your mind?"

Emma asked, still shocked.

"I-I… Honestly I'm not sure, but I felt like if I didn't tell you soon I would break down at any time. I'll understand if you decide to stay away from me for a while, and I know it probably changes our friendship, but, please, whatever your reaction is, don't push me away for good"

The brunette pleaded and Emma knew that there was only two times where she had seen Regina looking so heart-broken and fragile, and in all of them, Henry had been in danger.

"I need some time to think"

The blonde said and hurriedly left.

SQSQ

As Emma wandered through the castle's limits she let the words sink into her brain.  _I'm in love with you, Emma._

Honestly she wanted to think it was nothing but a cruel joke, but she knew it wasn't. She could see it in Regina's eyes, but she always told herself it was an illusion, that her mind was playing tricks at her, that Regina couldn't possibly return her feelings.

_Well, looks like she does._

The blonde thought.

What she would do about it, though, she didn't know. She was married, and she was happy.

"I'm not."

She said to no one but her, before a frustrated sigh escaped her lips. She is not happy. How could she? Sure August is a good man, but he isn't whom she really loves, he isn't whom she really needs.

Sighing once more she sat against a tree, only then she remembered the envelopes Regina had given her. She opened the first one and read it, and as she did she could easily picture the former mayor writing it while silent tears ran down through her cheeks, she could feel the same pain Regina felt.

The second one was way smaller than the first one, still its message held the same amount of pain and angst the previous did.

The third one related an afternoon which Emma remembered very well. That afternoon was the first time that she had seen the sad, still full of love, glint in Regina's eyes, but she had told herself that she was making things up, looks like she wasn't and apparently Henry could see it too. And she wondered how blind could she have been?

The fourth one was, for Emma, the most hurtful one. It made her sick just to imagine what Regina had gone through all this time. Being the maid of honor of your friend's wedding while being in love with her.

The fifth, and last one, made the tears that had already threatened to fall finally make their way down her pale cheeks. The words written on that paper were all the words that she had always wanted to say to the person who wrote them.

SQSQ

She was torn between doing the right thing and doing what's best for her. She knew that choosing to stay married to August was the most acceptable option, and probably it was the right thing to do for the kingdom.

" _This can't be right"_

She thought for a moment. It could never be right. She shouldn't stay married to him because that's best for the kingdom, she should stay married to him because she loved him, and that's the problem: she doesn't love him.

She has never loved him.

All this time there was only one person she truly loved and this person was Regina. But loving Regina wasn't and it will never be easy. How can you love someone you're supposed to hate?

Emma learned in time, though, that she had no choice. You can't choose whom you love.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Regina lied awake in her bed staring at the ceiling, wondering if it was really the best idea to tell Emma about her feelings.

She knew she needed to tell the blonde about it, but, perhaps, she thought, she acted like the selfish bitch she was one day. What if she confused Emma? What if everything changes between them and it's not for the best? What if she thought about the 'what if' s this would bring?

Regina grabbed a pillow beside her and put it over her face to muffle the frustrated scream she let out.

"Congratulations Regina, you just might have ruined the best thing you've had"

She said to herself as she tossed the pillow away.

SQSQ

After wandering through the castle trying to figure out what to do, Emma made her way towards her and August's bedroom.

As she entered the bedroom she spotted her husband lying in their bed with a book in hands. Closing the door behind her she walked to the bed.

Sitting on the edge of the mattress she turned to August and said:

"We need to talk"

SQSQ

"Emma?"

Henry called her as he entered the library. He gently shook his mother in an attempt to wake her.

"Hey kid."

She said sleepy. The previous night was a long one. She spent most of it thinking, trying to make her decision.

"What are doing here?"

Henry asked her.

"Thinking. Or at least  _was"_

Emma answered, and for some reason Henry had the feeling it had to do with his brunette mother.

"Why do I feel like it has something to do with my mom?"

"Because it has"

Emma stated matter-of-factly

"What has she done now?"

The boy asked almost in exasperation, already expecting the worst.

"She told me she's in love with me"

His blonde mother answered him. He had expected everything but that, though he knew he shouldn't be that surprised, since he was aware of his adoptive mother's feelings for the princess.

"Oh!"

It was all that left the teenager's mouth.

"But you already knew it"

The blonde pointed it out and surprised her son.

"How do you know?"

He was confused. Emma was one of the densest people in the world, so surely enough she didn't noted that all by herself.

"Because it's written in one of the letters she gave to me"

That, he thought, explained a lot, though he wasn't familiar with those letters.

"Letters? Can I see them?"

Emma thought for a moment, before finally handing him the said small stack of paper.

The boy went through all five letters in record time. The words written en every single page, hit him hard. For the first time, he realized how much Regina truly loved Emma.

Ever since Emma went to Storybrooke, he sensed something between both his mothers and as time passed he began to notice the subtle changes in Regina's behavior towards his birth mother, and it didn't took him much time to realize that the brunette was in love with the savior. But even if he would have never imagined how deeply in love Regina was, he was sure that every little word was true.

"You do realize that every single word is true, right?"

He stated, looking at Emma, daring her to doubt him. She didn't disappoint him, and agreed with his statement.

"Yes. Still it doesn't make things easier. I have to choose between her and August"

She sighed in defeat.

"Did you talk about it with August?"

Henry asked

"Yes."

He waited for her to elaborate, when she didn't he asked

"What he said?"

"He said that the choice is mine and that he would stand by me whatever my choice was"

She answered remembering the conversation she had with August. Not even he was surprised to know about Regina's feelings towards his wife, ever since they got married, he thought it was only a matter of time until Regina finally gather the nerve to tell Emma. He just thought, it would take a little while longer.

He would support her decision, whatever it was, because, according to August himself, he knew what he was getting into when he proposed. He knew she didn't really love him, at least, not in the way she loved Regina.

"Look, I know this is hard. I know how you're think that you should choose August because it is the right decision to make, but tell me one thing when was the last time you did something to yourself? Something to make you happy?"

Henry reasoned. He only wanted for his mothers to be happy, and he knew that they would only be able to have happiness with each other.

"Never"

Emma answered, acknowledging it for the first time.

"Mom is not the easiest person to handle in the world, I'll give you that, but she loves you and we both know that for the people she loves she is capable of changing if it's needed. Besides I know you love her just as much as she loves you" Henry paused to take a breath, before continuing. "All I've ever seen you two do was try to be happy, and even when you both knew you would only be completely happy if you were with each other, not even for once you considered trying because neither of you thought was right, but it was! If there's something that I learned from you and mom and from the entire family is that love, true love, is not only the most powerful magic of all, but also one of the few things really worth fighting for in this world. You've fought so much for so little, don't back up now!"

He pleaded with her, before exiting.

All the words he said ran through her mind a million miles per hour. Arguments that she couldn't go against even if she wanted, he was right after all.

They would only be complete with each other. And perhaps, it would take some fighting, some adjusting, but as her own son pointed out for her, she fought so many battles that were considered big and important that in reality weren't that big or important when compared to a battle for love. It was time for her to stop running and fight.

If she didn't fight for her own happiness, for her family, who the hell would?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Mom, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Emma asked as she entered Snow's study.

"Of course. What is it?"

Snow White asked concerned at the serious – and anxious – look on her daughter's face.

"I've made a decision that, surely enough, will have not so small effects on our family – perhaps the kingdom, too – but whatever your reaction may be, I'm sticking to it"

Emma said, her determination never cracking, not even for a second.

"Very well, and what would this decision be, may I ask?"

The queen asked, sensing just what about this was going to be.

"I'm leaving August."

The blonde stated firmly.

"Okay. Why is it?"

While the princess was shocked her mother hadn't made a fuss about it, she was also glad about it, things would be a lot easier to explain in that way.

"I don't love him. When I accepted his marriage proposal I only wanted to prove to myself that I didn't love whom I loved because the chances of the person loving me back weren't exactly high, but now I know that this person does return my feelings. All I want to be is happy, and she is the only one who can make me happy. And I know it probably won't be easy for you, but I really love her, she is my true love. Regina is my true love"

"Took you long enough! Have you talked with August already?"

Snow replied, amazing her daughter.

"Yes. H-he said that he understands, therefore he won't object to any decision"

Snow nodded her head in agreement.

"How did you know?"

Emma asked awestruck.

"I know true love when I see it, Emma. I've seen the way you two look at each other. It surprises me it took you this long to finally come clean with your feelings. Now, I hope you know it won't be easy at first, but I also hope you know it all be worth in the end."

Emma took it all in. It still amazed her how calm Snow was about everything.

"You are not going to freak out?"

Emma asked.

Snow chuckled before answering:

"I belong to Charming because he is my true love, you always belong to us because you are our daughter, but Henry and Regina, well, they are your family. And if there's any place, or anyone, you belong to, any place you should be is with them. Regina and I can still have our differences, but I would never step in the way of your happiness. I would never private you of your family, because of things that happened long ago."

Emma smiled at her mother. She rose from her seat, rounded the table, and hugged Snow.

"Thank you for understanding it. You have no idea how much it means for me!"

Letting go of Snow, the blonde princesses threw a silly smirk at her mother before saying, "Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to get my happy ending!"

SQSQ

The morning light shone through the window of Regina's bedroom, waking her from her short night of sleep.

She tried many times to sleep, but every time she was almost dozing of her mind would go back to Emma, and her thoughts just wouldn't let her alone.

Getting up, she made her way towards the bathroom to take a shower.

As Regina left the bathroom and stepped in the bedroom she spotted a small piece of paper near the door. Walking towards it, she bent down and picked it up, curiously she unfolded the paper and eagerly began reading as soon as she recognized Emma's handwriting.

" _Regina,_

_You are, for sure, the most infuriating and beautiful woman I ever knew in my entire life._

_The night we met I remember thinking I have never seen more beautiful creature anywhere. Not only that, I remember the exact moment our eyes locked and I felt something inside me, an unknown feeling, take over my body but I couldn't point out what was it exactly, and honestly I didn't find out until a few months ago._

_Do you know what really made me stay in Storybrooke? You. Of course I stayed because of Henry too, but there was something about you, though, that just made me want to get to know you better, but you never let me get close to you, emotionally speaking, but now I understand._

_You were afraid._

_Afraid of me, of being hurt, of hurting me, but most of all you were afraid of love. You were afraid of it, because in all your life love had brought you nothing other than misery._

_It's alright. I was afraid too._

_I never, not even in a million years, thought you would actually return my feelings, and that's why I married August, I thought that maybe it would be the easiest way of erasing my feelings for you. Well, it didn't work. I still love you. I will_ _**ALWAYS** _ _love you._

_P.S: Meet me in the castle's yard, under our tree, right after you read this. It's time for we to make things right._

_Love,_

_Emma."_

Folding the paper in the way it was before she found it, Regina let words sink in her system. Emma loved her, has loved all the time.

She wasn't entirely sure what the letter was supposed to mean, but hoping for the best she left her chambers to go meet her love.

SQSQ

Emma was leaned against the tree trunk, fidgeting nervously, while waiting for Regina's arrival.

Right after talking with Snow, she went to talk to August and officially end their marriage, which wasn't exactly that hard to do, when both parts were agreeable to it.

When she was heading towards Regina's bed chambers, to express her feelings for the former queen orally, the idea of writing the brunette a small letter came to her mind, and Emma just took it without hesitation. The time it would for her to write, should be enough, for her to calm her nerves. It worked.

She was so lost in her musings, that she almost missed the moment Regina arrived.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

Regina asked, and Emma could sense the nervousness in her voice.

"Yes. Why don't we sit?"

The blonde asked while she took Regina's hands in hers and guided them to a sitting position on the grass. Keeping her hold on delicate tanned hands, Emma began.

"Since you're here I assume you read my letter?" she asked looking into the brown eyes she loved so much. Regina nodded her head in confirmation. "Then, you already know I love you back. I want you to know I'm sorry for the way I left yesterday, to be gifted with the news that you actually returned my feelings was a kind of shock. But I also want you to know that after I ran from your room, I came out here and after pacing like a mad woman, I found a place to seat and read the letters you gave me." Emma paused, looking the brunette straight in the eyes before asking softly "Why didn't you say anything before?"

Looking away from Emma, the brunette answered.

"Because I was afraid of losing you. We had barely reached an agreement in our relationship, and I didn't want to risk the friendship we built"

"So you rather preferred losing me to another person?"

"If it meant having you by my side, even if was just as friend, yes. Everything would still be like that, would still be in their rightful places, if wasn't for my crazy heart that decided to have a love epiphany and make me feel as if I were about to explode if I didn't tell you the truth. What can I say, my heart never really worked very well."

Regina said bitterly. She just couldn't understand why her heart always found a way to control her and make her do things she doesn't intend to do, like, for instance, telling Emma what she really feels or falling for the Savior.

"I don't know about previous times, but this time, your heart did the right thing. I love you, Regina, and I want to be with you. I already talked to August and my mother. No one opposed to it. They only want us to be happy and they know that the only way this can happen is if we are together. So, will you let me make you happy?"

The blonde finished smiling a hopeful smile.

Regina smiled back at her while answering "Only if you let  **me**  make  **you**  happy!"


	4. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_Ten years later._

As Regina rolled up in bed in search for her wife's warm body, she was met with an empty left side of the bed. Finding it odd that her savior wasn't lying next to her, she opened her eyes to look for the blonde, but the red rose with a white envelope attached lying on top of the pillow right by her side, stopped her search.

Reaching for the two items, she brought the rose closer to her nose and smelt the soft aroma, while her eyes closed at the sweet memories it brought.

Putting the rose back on top of the pillow, Regina opened the envelope and smiled when she recognized her wife's handwriting.

_"My beautiful Regina,_

_It's been ten years already, can you believe it?_

_To me it stills seems like yesterday that we sat under our tree and agreed on letting us make each other happy._

_I have to say that in these ten years you made me the happiest woman in the world._

_I love you, so much, and before you came into my life I had never experienced anything alike. You make me feel like I'm flying most of time. You got me high!_

_Sometimes I wonder how can I hold so many intense feelings inside my heart but I do and they are all directed at you and our kids._

_Those little guys are the other reasons for me being so happy. Henry, Isaac, Emily and Olivia are such great kids. If there's anything we've done right in our lives was raising the four of them. And there's no one else in this world I would choose to have this adventure with!_

_Even though most of our ten years together were the happiest, I know there were though times. Times that put us under so much pressure we weren't sure we would get through it, but we did and I'm so glad for that!_

_If there was any time that I didn't make my promise true, and made you unhappy even in the slightest I'll be eternally sorry for it, but I also promise I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up for you._

_Happy ten years anniversary, baby!_

_I love you,_

_Your Emma"_

Regina smiled as she finished. Emma was right; their ten years together were the best of her life.

"Have I ever told you how much I love that smile?"

Emma asked with a smile of her own, as she leaned against their bedroom's doorframe.

"Every day, ever since we start dating, my love"

Regina answered sweetly, as Emma made her towards their bed. Sitting on her side of the bed, Emma opened her arms for Regina to get in. Leaning against the blonde's warm body, the brunette let a sigh of content escape her lips, as she couldn't help smiling like silly in love teenager.

"I assume you liked the letter and the rose?"

Emma asked.

"You know I loved it. Happy anniversary, by the way."

Regina replied and gave the blonde a quick peck on the lips, before outing herself from her savior arms.

"I have something for you too"

She said as grabbed a small package with a note attached.

Before opening the package, Emma took the note and read it.

" _My love,_

_In these past years, we tried so hard to show one another how much we love each other, and for some reason, we always liked writing letters to help with it, I guess it's because it all started with the letters I wrote you, before you were mine._

_I know I gave you uncountable amount of letters through the years, but there are still some that I just kept hidden. The first one of these was written in our first night together, and the ones after that go through our time as a couple._

_Love,_

_Regina"_

Finishing reading the note, Emma looked up at the woman who held her heart and said:

"Good to know you are not the only who will be going through unsent love letters, today"

Regina looked at her quizzically as the blonde got out of bed to grab a generous pile of white envelopes - almost yellow, due to the effects of time – and handed them to the mother of her kids.

Looking Regina in the eyes Emma explained.

"Let's just say that you weren't the only member of this relationship that, before we finally stopped fooling ourselves trying to not love each other, took out the heartache in writing. There are also letters in this pack from after the one I slipped under your door."

The brunette just looked up in adoration. She put the pile Emma had just given her on the bed along with the package she gave the blonde. Taking Emma's hands in hers she said.

"I love you, Emma. I don't know what I've done to deserve your love, but I think that somewhere along the way I must have gotten something really right that made me worth of you. And I know that what I'm about to say I already said in the hundred letters I wrote you, but I'll do it now and another thousand times if needed, because it's the truth. The greatest gifts I could ever receive in my life were you and our children. You came out of nowhere and made me feel again. In the beginning I was scared to death, and the time we've spent fighting over Henry and then the time you've spent with August only gave me reasons to believe that the love I felt for you was some kind of punishment, because I never thought I would be able to have in you in my arms and call you mine. But you never ceased to surprise me. You showed me that unlike I was taught love is not weakness, that it's actually the higher of the strengths. And for that Emma, I will be eternally grateful"

Regina smiled as she let go of Emma's hands only to wipe away the tears that ran down her love's face. What she hadn't realized was that she was also shedding a few tears. After wiping Regina's tears, was Emma's turn to pour her heart out.

"And I love you, Regina. You and the kids, our family, are my everything. When Henry took me to Storybrooke, I was so sure that I would only get him home and never step on that town again, but that was before you came into picture. When you rushed to him, you looked so vulnerable, so afraid and scared and all I wanted to do was wrap you my arms, but that was crazy, I thought, I didn't even known you, but I felt it and it scared me too, and after the feeling washed away for a moment I didn't know what I would do. My mind screamed run, and my heart screamed stay. For some reason I listened the latter, which we both know wasn't exactly something I used to do, but I'll be forever glad I did. And I know I wasn't exactly the brightest person when I accepted August proposal just to try forget you, but I don't regret it, because if I hadn't done it, maybe we wouldn't be standing where we do now. We've done bad, we've done good, we lost our path along the years a few times, but it all leaded us to each other. I wouldn't have it any other way!"

With tears running down their faces and bright smiles that couldn't be ripped even if they wanted it, both women leaned in each other and let their lips join in a passionate and needy kiss as confirmation of everything they've just said.

The years they spent together were the best, and there was not a thing they would change. But the years that were about to come, well, those would prove to be even better.

End!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading it.


End file.
